If you aren’t in the loop, here is where you can catch up on all the upcoming Marvel movies. “Phase Two” as the studio is calling it, continues the adventures of the quintessential Avengers and introduces new super-heroes to cinemas, like Ant-man, and this suspicious-looking, gun-carrying raccoon. If my guess is right, the animal is a character in Guardians of the Galaxy, and I haven’t the faintest idea what that story is about besides what it implies.

Ant-Man comes to theaters November 6th, 2015. The film is directed by Edgar Wright.

Iron Man 3 comes to theaters May 3rd, 2013 and…

Disney is making a different version of some movies, such as Iron Man 3, for the Chinese theater-going public. The changes include such things as China landmarks, celebrity Chinese stars, omitted lines of dialogue, etc. These details are meant to make the film more appealing to the ever-growing number of Chinese moviegoers — something Hollywood isn’t ignoring.

Many blockbuster smashes, like the Marvel super-hero films, get more than half of their revenue from international box offices. So making a movie that strongly appeals to Chinese moviegoers just makes good business sense.

But not…

G.I. Joe: Retaliation has already paid the bills, so Paramount is readying the next installment.

Variety is reporting that Paramount is quite pleased with how G.I. JOE: RETALIATION has performed so far and are planning on adding another film to the franchise. Although many of us questioned Paramount’s decision to push back G.I. JOE: RETALIATION in order to tweak the film, it looks like in the end they may have made the right call (at least financially) and they must feel at least a little vindicated after taking a beating from most people about the film’s delayed release.

Keep in mind…

DC Comics is still competing with Marvel to see which of their movie studios can produce the most insane number of super-hero films for the decade. A director very popular with geeks, Guillermo Del Toro has reported big things for another super-film in the works that introduces the “dark side” of DC’s Justice League:

After being prodded about his attachment Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment’s “Justice League Dark,” Del Toro announced the next film he’ll likely shoot is “Crimson Peak,” a turn of the century supernatural thriller.

That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been working on “JLD”…

Very sad news: today we learned that British actor Richard Griffiths, best known for his roles in Harry Potter and History Boys, has passed away.

The Independent and various other news outlets are reporting that Griffiths, 65, died yesterday of complications following heart surgery.

Harry Potter fans will probably remember this seasoned actor best as Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter movies; Richard Griffiths was able to bring the nasty character to life in such a believable way that it was a shock to turn and watch him in The History Boys, where he played the flawed but beloved teacher…

Getting a jump on Easter weekend, filmmaker Jon M. Chu‘s action bonanza G.I. Joe: Retaliation began rolling out late Wednesday night in North America, grossing a solid $2.2 million.

Tracking suggests the sequel—with a cast led by franchise newcomers Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis —will post a four-day domestic debut in the $40 million to $45 million range, although Paramount believes there’s a chance of hitting $50 million.

Retaliation also is opening in most international markets (75 percent) and is anticipating a global opening in the $100 million range.

As I’ve said before,…

Continuing its quest to sate subscribers’ appetites with a flow of original content, Netflix has announced a new original series, Sense8. Due in late 2014, it’s being developed by the Wachowskis of The Matrix, V for Vendetta, Cloud Atlas and Speed Racer fame, as well as J. Michael Straczynski, creator of Babylon 5. Details are thin, but the press release promises a gripping global tale of minds linked and souls hunted with a ten episode run for its first season.

The Wachowskis, eh? Given the disaster that was Cloud Atlas I can’t say I have much hope for this sesries. But again, given…

It’s been officially announced that “Atlas Shrugged Part 3” will be written by Duncan Scott (who helmed part two, and edited and produced Rand’s film “We The Living”) and Brian O’Toole, and open in 150 markets in summer 2014. Thus far, parts one and two cost between $10-20 million to make each, but only collectively brought in $8 million at the box office, though apparently home video has shown the movie has some life.

Who is John Galt anyway? And I wonder if they are going to entirely recast this film like they did the last one. It’s extremely off-putting. I didn’t mind the cast of the…

It’s been almost almost 17 years since aliens destroyed the White House and the Empire State Building in Roland Emmerich’s 1996 blockbuster Independence Day. But the world’s monuments aren’t safe yet. Emmerich, whose action-packed White House Down hits theaters June 28, says he plans to wreak a new round of havoc in two sequels – ID Forever Part 1 and ID Forever Part II. The films take place 20 years after the original, when a distress call sent by the first wave of aliens finally brings reinforcements to Earth. ”The humans knew that one day the aliens would come back,” explains the…